NHL COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

• The CBA is for six years (through the 2010-11 season) with the NHLPA having the option to re-open the agreement after the 2008-09 season. The NHLPA can also extend the CBA for an additional year at the end of the term.

• The players' share will be 54 per cent when league revenues in any year are below $2.2 billion; 55 per cent when league revenues are between $2.2 billion and $2.4 billion; 56 per cent when league revenues are between $2.4 billion and $2.7 billion; and 57 per cent when league revenues exceed $2.7 billion.

• The payroll range in 2005-06 will be $21.5 million at the lower limit and $39 million at the upper limit. A club's payroll includes all salaries, signing bonuses and performance bonuses paid to players. Except in the case of long-term injury (minimum of 24 days and 10 games) to one or more of a club's players, payrolls can never be below the minimum or above the maximum. Clubs at or near the upper limit that have players who suffer a long-term injury can replace up to the full value of the injured player's salary. The "replacement salary" will not count against the club's upper limit but will count against the league-wide players' share. Once the injured player returns, the team must come into compliance with the payroll range.

• Yes, a player cannot receive more than 20 per cent of a club's upper limit in total annual compensation. For 2005-06, the maximum salary is $7.8 million.

• The minimum NHL player salary in 2005-06 and 2006-07 is $450,000; $475,000 in 2007-08 and 2008-09; $500,000 in 2009-10 and 2010-11; and $525,000 in 2011-12 (if the CBA is extended by the NHLPA).

• The player's contract may be bought out. If the contract is not bought out, his salary must be increased to the league minimum.

• The only players eligible to earn performance bonuses will be: players on entry-level contracts; players signing one-year contracts after returning from long-term injuries (players with 400 or more games who spent 100 or more days on injured reserve in the last year of their most recent contract); and veteran players who sign a one-year contract after the age of 35.

• Every year of every existing NHL player contract (plus signing, roster and reporting bonuses, performance bonuses, marketing fees and all other payments due) will be reduced by 24 per cent.

• All contracts for the 2004-05 season have been eliminated.

• Clubs will have a one-time opportunity, during a six-day period, to exercise buyouts of existing player contracts. Amounts paid to players pursuant to these compliance buyouts will not be counted against a club's upper limit or the league-wide players' share. Clubs that choose to exercise compliance buyouts must pay the buyout amount over the remaining term of the contract.

• There will be a six-day period starting July 23 and ending at 5 p.m. EDT on July 29 during which clubs may terminate and buyout player contracts.

• No. Any bought-out player cannot rejoin his old club during the 2005-06 season.

• The league has committed to enhancing revenue sharing so that all clubs will be able to afford competitive payrolls within the allowed range.

• All clubs that are ranked in the bottom 15 in league revenues and operate in markets with a demographic market area of 2.5 million or fewer TV households.

• Yes. The NHL and NHLPA have agreed to participate in both the 2006 and 2010 (Vancouver) Winter Olympics, subject to negotiation of terms with the International Ice Hockey Federation.

• The free agency period will begin on August 1, 2005.

• In 2005-06, a player aged 31 with four accrued seasons; in 2006-07, a player aged 29 with four accrued seasons or with eight accrued seasons; in 2007-08, a player aged 28 with four accrued seasons or with seven accrued seasons; beginning in 2008-09 and for the duration of the agreement, a player aged 27 with four accrued seasons or with seven accrued seasons will be an unrestricted free agent. For purposes of qualifying for unrestricted free agency, the 2004-05 cancelled season will be counted as a year of accrued service.

• Provided the player has four-or-more accrued seasons, he will become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 1.

• Restricted free agency will continue to operate similarly to how it operated under the expired CBA.

• Restricted free agents who do not sign contracts by Dec. 1 of a given year will be ineligible to play for the balance of that season.

• Entry-level players will be subject to a maximum annual salary (plus signing and games played bonuses) of $850,000 for 2005 and 2006 draftees; $875,000 for 2007 and 2008 draftees; $900,000 for 2009 and 2010; and $925,000 for 2011 draftees. The maximum combined signing bonus will be limited to 10 per cent of the player's maximum annual compensation in any year. Entry-level players may negotiate performance bonuses up to a maximum of $850,000 in individual "Schedule A" bonuses per year (maximum of $212,500 per bonus). A player may also be eligible to earn individual "B" bonuses for league-wide excellence, which will, as a general matter, be paid by the league. Players can also negotiate excess individual "B" bonuses, subject to a maximum aggregate of $2 million in any year.

• Players who sign their first contract at age 18-21 are required to sign three-year entry-level contracts; players age 22-23 will be required to sign two-year deals; and players age 24 will be required to sign a one-year entry-level contract.

• Clubs may sign 2004 draftees to a maximum salary of $984,200 and 2003 draftees to a maximum salary of $942,400. These salaries are based on a 24 per cent rollback to the maximum salary under the previous CBA for the players' respective draft years. Additionally, draftees from prior years may negotiate for a signing bonus not to exceed 30 per cent of his maximum annual compensation. Performance bonuses may be negotiated as per new CBA rules.

• The entry draft will be reduced from nine rounds to seven rounds.

• Clubs that lost a Group 3 free agent to another club between July 1 and Sept. 15, 2004 will receive a compensatory draft choice in the 2005 draft on the same basis as under the expired CBA. In the new CBA, clubs will no longer receive compensatory draft picks for the loss of unrestricted free agents but will receive such choices for the loss of unsigned first-round draft picks.

• Draft eligibility rules remain unchanged from the expired CBA, all players must be age 18 by Sept. 15 in that draft year. The draft "opt-in" procedure has been eliminated.

•In general, players will be eligible for salary arbitration after four years in the league instead of three. Clubs have the right to take two types of players to salary arbitration: for players earning more than $1.5 million in their prior year, clubs can elect salary arbitration in lieu of making a qualifying offer; and clubs also will have the right to elect salary arbitration for Group 2 players who chose not to take the club to arbitration.

• Players earning $660,000 or less will be entitled to qualifying offers at 110 per cent of their previous year's salary; players earning between $660,000 and $1 million will be entitled to offers at 105 per cent of previous year's salary; players earning more than $1 million will be entitled to offers at 100 per cent of their previous year's salary.

• No. Player contracts will not be renegotiated (upward or downward) during their term. Extensions may be negotiated but only in the final year of the contract.

• The length of the regular-season schedule will remain at 82 games per team. It will be played over a minimum of 184 days, with each club playing at least one game in the first three days and last three days of the regular season.

• For veteran players (50 games or more in the previous season), training camp will not exceed 20 days. For all other players, training camp will be not more than 27 days. For 2005-06 season only, training camp will be extended to 23 days for veteran players and not more than 30 days for all other players. The maximum number of pre-season games remains at nine.

• A joint owner-player competition committee has been established to discuss and make recommendations on matters affecting the game. The parties have agreed to a joint broadcasting/marketing committee to discuss league broadcast and marketing policies and initiatives. The parties have agreed to a joint Emergency Assistance Fund administration committee to oversee the use of funds for retired players.

• The waiver draft has been eliminated.

• Yes. The trade deadline will be moved from 26 days to 40 days before the regular season's end.

• Yes. Every player will be subject to up to two "no-notice" tests per year, with at least one such test to be conducted on a team-wide basis. Positive tests for performance-enhancing substances will result in discipline as follows:

• For the first positive test, a 20-game suspension without pay and mandatory referral to the league's Substance Abuse/Behavioural Health Program for evaluation, education and possible treatment.
• For the second positive test, a 60-game suspension without pay.
• For the third positive test, a minimum two-year suspension. This suspension will be considered "permanent," although a player so suspended may apply for reinstatement after two years. A joint NHL/NHLPA committee will agree on a prohibited substances list which will include on the list maintained by the World Anti-Doping Agency for both in-competition and out-of-competition testing.

• The percentage of player salary withheld to fund the player salary escrow will be determined at four separate points during the season. The percentage will be adjusted as necessary to reflect overall league-wide payroll to ensure that sufficient funds will be available to repay the league in the event of any overpay on the league-wide players' share.

• No.